Sanchez eliminates all doubt about Eagles backup QB position

Mark Sanchez #3 of the Philadelphia Eagles lthrows a touchdown pass against the New England Patriots in the second quarter Gillette Stadium on August 15, 2014 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Mark Sanchez #3 of the Philadelphia Eagles lthrows a touchdown pass against the New England Patriots in the second quarter Gillette Stadium on August 15, 2014 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Jim Rogash, Getty Images)

— They deny it only because to admit it at this point wouldn't be prudent.

The Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback battle is over, if there ever was a legitimate one in the first place.

Mark Sanchez ended it Friday night at Gillette Stadium in a 42-35 preseason loss to the New England Patriots, gently reminding everyone that his four career playoff wins are more representative of his capabilities than his ghastly 68-to-69 career touchdown-to-interception ratio or 55.1 completion percentage or the butt fumble on YouTube or any of that other nonsense.

He completed 11 of his 12 passes, the other being an interception, for 117 yards and two efficient touchdowns. His decision-making was crisp, his rapport with receivers perfect.

"I feel good with the offense," Sanchez said after Friday's game. "Those guys are making plays on the edge, the offensive line is giving you a ton of time. I mean, there's a ton of factors, not just one.

Comfort is a big one, though.

"[TE Zach] Ertz walked over after I was done and he said, 'Hey man, nice job, 12-for-12.' " Sanchez said. "I said, 'No, I went 11-for-12.' He said, 'Yeah, but that [incompletion] didn't hit the ground.' So you've got to have a sense of humor about it and move on and eliminate those mistakes."

Sanchez will never have Peyton Manning-type statistics, will never win an MVP, is not capable of routinely hoisting a team over his shoulders as John Elway used to do and won't make it to the Hall of Fame.

But he certainly has proved over enough time that he can step into a system like the one coach Chip Kelly has created in Philadelphia, keep the machine running and not necessarily be the reason the Eagles would lose if Nick Foles were unable to go.

They can even win with him, providing some other details are covered, like having a competent defense and a running game and so forth. He's done it in practice and during games. More important, he's gained the trust of his teammates.

Think Jim Plunkett's career rebirth with the Oakland Raiders.

Different era of football aside, Plunkett only wishes he could have compiled the mediocre numbers Sanchez has now. The former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall draft pick in 1971 finished his career with 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions, leading the league once with 22. His completion percentage was 52.5 percent. Yards per attempt? How 'bout 7.0?

But with the Raiders, where he landed after failed stints with New England and San Francisco, all he did was just win, baby: two Super Bowl triumphs, including one over the Eagles, and an 8-2 playoff record.

Think Eagles fans would take that?

Since being released by the New York Jets, Sanchez has steadily improved his game since a shaky debut in the offseason camps to the point where he can run this offense blindfolded and make every throw required.

Perhaps that is because he's healthier now than he's been in a long time, maybe ever. Or maybe it's because he's not running for his life as much anymore. Or it could be because the coaches he's working with now are a tad more offensive-oriented than those he dealt with in New York.

Whatever the case, he's proved to be everything Kelly originally advertised him to be, raising eyebrows across the board.

Now all he's doing his raising expectations.

"I think Mark, in his performance in the Chicago game and in his performance again tonight, he's made us feel really comfortable in the quarterback position," Kelly said. "I think he's getting stronger. He's really comfortable in what we're doing. He's got a really good feel for playing quarterback, so we've been really happy with him so far."

That he's done all this in just a few months since joining the team in the offseason is even more encouraging.

"He's looked good since he got here, he's throwing the ball well, he understands the offense, he's a smart guy, he's a leader when he's on the field, when he takes control," center Jason Kelce said. "And he's a guy who's been there before, he understands the ins and outs of the NFL. So that's huge for a backup quarterback position, I think.

"He's done better and better each and every week, and he shows you that he understands the full grasp of what the schematics of the offense are."

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur declined to say what everyone knows by now, that Sanchez is the clear and present backup quarterback, having outperformed Matt Barkley. And that could be the most impressive aspect of this whole dynamic, considering how well Barkley has played and continued to play Friday night.

"Who's where doesn't matter anymore, yet," Shurmur said. "Mark did a good job, though. He functioned well. He had the one interception that he certainly can learn from, but I thought he moved the ball, he moved the offense, he got us in the end zone and he did a lot of good things."

The most important being justifying Kelly's haste to sign him.

Sanchez has won the backup job fair and square. It's only a matter of time before Kelly sees fit to make an official announcement.